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Restaurant Feature: Bowls of Ramen at Mitsuyado Sei-Men
Ramen craze has been going around the metro ever since last year if I’m not mistaken, and foodies have been relentless in their search for the perfect bowl of ramen as well as ramen shops sprouting here and there. One such shop would be Mitsuyado nestled in the bustling Jupiter Street in Makati. It’s been getting rave reviews from ramen lovers and foodies so naturally I had to check it out.I went one Saturday night if I can still remember it right because of the delay this post has taken but it was with SinfulBombs and MommaBombs (both foodie enthusiasts). We ordered Japanese gyoza as appetizers and 3 steaming bowls of Japanese ramen – Chasyu, Tan Tan Men and Cheese Tsukemen.We all loved the gyoza they served us. Cooked just right and tasted really flavorful. We ordered a second serving of these lovable dumplings because they were good.
When our ramen bowls came, we were all excited and we tried out each of these ramens. MommaBombs had the tan tan men and we all loved it. It was spicy, tasted like curry and the noodles were al dente.
My Chasyu ramen was not really to my liking after all the hype Mitsuyado has created. My ramen was served to me lukewarm, almost cold and I did not like the taste much. I do not have fond memories of it but maybe a second visit is in order to re-evaluate this ramen.The Cheese tsukemen that SinfulBombs ordered was also not to our liking. The ramen noodles also arrived cold and the cheese looked like it had been sitting stagnant for a bit. It did not tickle our taste buds as much as the tan tan men had.
For that night we came to the conclusion that among the 3 ramen bowls we had, the tan tan men reigned supreme in taste. But who knows maybe a second visit will be a better experience. Not so impressed with Mitsuyado just yet.XoXoEV -
Comfort Food with Friends @ Mary Grace Serendra
Whenever I hear the store/restaurant Mary Grace mentioned, I normally equate it to their yummy lemon bars and other comfort desserts. I don’t normally equate it to pastas or salads or pizzas for that matter. I normally think coffee, tea and pastries but they actually have a lot more than that. When my sorority sisters organized a small get-together in Serendra in Fort Bonifacio, we all decided to eat at Mary Grace.At first glance, what would strike you is their cozy and quaint ambiance. I guess this is what calls out to their customers. Wooden tables, wooden chairs, checked tablecloths and a sort of garden setting beckons the passer-by to just sit, relax, drink coffee and eat some pastries. This is something that I find very charming. It blends in with the total concept of Serendra. The only problem that I see is that they have trouble accommodating big groups of people. They cater more to 2-4 guests judging from the layout and space. Because there were quite a few of us, we had to push together 2 tables and added a few chairs just so we all could fit.
We then proceeded to order some pizza and pasta for lunch and added in some salad greens as well to counter all that carbohydrate. Their homemade special brew teas were very refreshing, fruity and delicious. Not your usual run-of-the-mill powdered tea concentrate which I try not to drink nowadays because of all their sugar content.All in all, they’re quite good. Not fantastic but okay for the price range and I like their pizza’s a lot. Not too doughy and they’re quite thin and packed with good ingredients.
Caesar’s Salad 
regular spaghetti and meatballs 
Carbonara 
Spanish-style Sardine pasta with olives 
Margarita Pizza All the pasta’s and salad orders are good enough to share and the pizza is for 2-3 people. Overall, Mary Grace is not really fantastic but speaks of comfort food for the pizza and pasta crazy food lovers.P.S. Don’t forget to try their desserts when you’re there!XoXoEV -
The Tastes & Flavors of Bangkok: Sawasdee Ka!
Just a few months ago, I was lucky enough to travel once again to Thailand for a work meet. Eagerly I anticipated the visit to temples this time as well as tasting yet again authentic Thai dishes. We went to a lot of different restaurants and I was a bit pressed for time at work so I was not always able to document what I ate and where but it was yet again a pleasant interlude into the land of elephants. Below are the pictures I was able to take eating my way around BKK. Enjoy!Upon arriving in BKK and after we got settled in our nice hotel, we were taken by our boss to this wonderful cafe inside a mall. Very quaint and very quirky. They had nice interiors and an even nicer menu offering plus the gorgeous French cafe manager who we got to know. He even spoke Filipino!
Berry Smoothie for Detox 
Grilled Smoked Salmon and Avocado sandwich! Yum! For dinner, we got to eat at this Chinese restaurant which served both Thai and Chinese food. We had some Thai staples including the customary Thai Iced tea and of course Pad Thai. All the food that we had at this place was really good. No complaints here!
Part of our work itinerary is of course listening to good music as we are in the entertainment industry. We watched a show at the Sheraton in BKK and had some drinks as well.
Lovely Pica Pica for free! 
my limoncello, this drink packs a hard punch 
I had a mini white wine tasting thing going on too! I love the Sheraton! And then, there were the out of the way stores and cafeterias selling really cheap but really good food which me and colleague A went out to explore.
Another version of the Pad Thai. Friend A loved this dish so much 
Chicken in green curry sauce! 
Thai noodle soup quite similar to the Pho in Vietnam because of the side serving of fresh veggies 
Always present in Thai restos. Their 4 basic needs for sauces. As always Thailand/Bangkok does not disappoint in terms of food. There are just so many interesting dishes that I have yet to try in Thailand and I’m sure I will be back sometime soon for another food feast again.XoXoEV -
On The Buffet Table: Hyatt’s Li-Li Buffet
Buffets are a dime a dozen here in the metro and the variety of food choices in buffets are really overwhelming especially if you are the type that loves all kinds of cuisines like I do. One weekend lunch, I and fellow foodie Sinfulbombs decided to take on one of the hotel buffets here in Manila – Hyatt’s Li-Li’s buffet. They offered the Chinese dim sum buffet at a reasonable price so both of us jumped on the chance to finally check it out after weeks and weeks of talking about it.
Li-Li’s ambiance is really very Chinese. Gold and red are the predominant colors in their interiors and immediately we were welcomed by their Chinese-gown clad receptionists who quickly showed us to a table. We were served with hot tea and some pickled vegetables as well as roasted peanuts together with their menus for us to order.
Unlike usual buffets where food is placed and presented in chafing dishes, Li-Li’s has theirs to order. It is a buffet but you just order then they will be prepared fresh and served to you but you can order as much as you want. I prefer this type of set-up because it means that food is prepared fresh and I think this minimizes waste too.We planned to order in batches as we wanted to try everything that their dim sum buffet had to offer. First up was their Steamed Shrimp Dumpling (Hargaw) but more commonly known as “Hakaw”. The dumpling had juicy shrimps and the skin was not too thick or too thin. This was a great starter and it was very flavorful too.
Steamed Shrimp Dumpling (Hargaw) Next that was served was the Steamed Shrimp and Dried Seaweed Roll with asparagus and fish roe. The rolls had a soupy presentation and they were steamed just right. This dim sum was very tasty although I would not say that it was a star.
Steamed Shrimp and Dried Seaweed Roll with asparagus and fish roe Next up we had a few more dumplings like the Steamed Fresh Scallops Dumpling, Steamed Crabmeat Dumplings with Black Mushrooms and one other dumpling that I forgot the name to but still tasted really good. All the dumplings so far tasted yummy and did not disappoint. Sinfulbombs and I also enjoyed a good time catching up with news.
We also had some Steamed White Fish with Chilies and this was something that we both loved. Very tender and carefully prepared delicate white fish seasoned lightly with bits of chilies giving that light and spicy kick. We also ordered some Steamed chicken and Char Siupork.
Steamed White Fish with Chilies 
Steamed chicken 
Char Siu Coming up on the list is also one of our shared favorites – the Taro Puff. The taro puff was crispy and light on the outside and oozing with creaminess on the inside of the crispy shell. It was just perfect. We also had some Pan Fried Spinach Dumpling with Shrimp and Baked Barbecue Pastry Puff.
Taro Puff 
Baked Barbecue Pastry Puff We finished off with all the desserts that they offered so we can try them all out and we ended up lounging around for a good 30 minutes because we were so full from all the dim sum before our Li-Li experience ended. Indeed it was very great value for money. The ambiance, the taste and everything else was all worth the price tag that it had. I certainly would like another Li-Li dim sum so I can try out the other things we did not get to order during that day!
We love you Li-Li! Til the next time!XoXoYou May Also Like
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Right On The Tummy Spot: Another Josephine’s Foray in Tagaytay
I have been remiss lately in updating posts on my blog. Honestly, I have been so busy with work that I have not had the time to write. I am trying my best to do a bit of time management since it’s been quite hectic. I have traveled to 2 countries in a span of 3 months – 1 for work and another for pleasure so my schedule has been doubly hectic. My foodie explorations have also been many and as such I will try and catch up so that the blog remains current and also so that I don’t forget what I have eaten and how I felt eating the food.Last April, my aunt and uncle from the US came home because it was their daughter’s (my cousin’s) graduation from college. They decided to spend some time here in the metro and Tagaytay was definitely on the map of places to visit. We headed off early but unfortunately a little road mishap delayed us for an hour in the small winding roads of Tagaytay. We stopped for refreshments in the resident Starbucks and took some pictures and then preceded to our lunch destination which I decided was to be Josephine’s since I think as balikbayans my aunt and uncle miss Filipino food.So far my experiences with Josephine’s have been good so I just decided to bring them there. For our appetizers, we ordered their appetizer sampler which had crispy fried crablets, grilled shells, roasted shrimps and grilled squid. We also had some crispy calamari and everyone was happy. The seafood sampler was cooked just right and it had a clean and fresh taste and the calamari was crispy and the squid inside cooked well and not tough.
Seafood Appetizer Sampler 
Crispy Calamari Aunt Joy also ordered 2 kinds of salads, the garden salad and mango salsa salad. The first was a mixture of greens, tomatoes, red bell peppers, boiled egg, carrots and vinaigrette while the former was mangoes, tomatoes, cucumber, cilantro and vinaigrette. These salads were very refreshing and we especially loved the mango salsa. It was spot on!
Garden Salad 
Mango Salsa We also ordered the classic kare-kare, oxtail and beef swimming in a peanut-based sauce. It was served together with some bagoong alamang and again this dish did not disappoint. It was very Filipino and delicious. We couldn’t get enough of it especially paired with the bagoong. The kare-kare is a bit bland and the bagoong is the perfect pair for it.
Going to Tagaytay would not be complete without the requisite dish – bulalo. Softened beef in bone and this dish was very hearty and filling. The beef around the bone was so tender that it literally fell off the bone and was swimming in the hearty and flavorful broth. We also had some noodles but I wasn’t able to take a picture of it. It wasn’t really their specialty and it was just ok. The other dishes were more to my liking.
Overall, Josephine’s is really a good place to enjoy Filipino food and the view that they have is really very nice. Plus, eating with family makes everything all the more delish! No more room for dessert at this point.XoXoEV -
Foodie Event: YUMMY EATS 2013!
This is the usual yearly foodie tradition with @witchycrazymommy and our little foodies-in-training and this year it was still held at the NBC tent at Fort Bonifacio and attended by a steadily growing number of small food business entrepreneurs and foodies.Again, an overwhelming barrage of good food and drinks all throughout the day. I will let the pictures speak for themselves. I was also happy that craft beers have made a showing in this year’s event as well.
Crispy Fish & Chips from Chuck’s Grub 
Pork Bagwang 
New flavors from one of my faves – Merry Moo 
Mushroom Risottos 
Beef tapa and breaded fish 
Theo Philo chocolates 
Paella Negra 
Pound Cake 
Yummy flavoured ensaymada’s 
The Cupcake Lab’s delicious cupcakes 
all that thick bacon! 
Greek drinks 
The craft beers from Global Beer Exchange Good job Yummy! Looking forward to 2014!XoXoEV -
A Bacolod Weekender Part II: The Dessert Stops (Flibby’s & Calea)
As promised this is the sweet foil to my savory entry in the previous post. If I discovered savory delights in Bacolod, I also stumbled on the most luscious sweets.Our first stop was a little quaint cupcake shop in their downtown area. Flibby’s Cupcakes is a little family or rather sister business started by 2 enterprising siblings who shared a love of cupcakes and turned it into a business. When we got inside their little shop, it was decorated in light and pastel colors and had glass displays showcasing yummy cupcakes in all kinds of flavors. I was hooked and decided to order a cupcake staple – Red Velvet cupcakes. Red velvet is a very common flavor but I think you can distinguish a good cupcake maker with the kind of red velvet cupcakes that they make. This one was a winner. Luscious, fluffy and moist red velvet cupcake topped with a cream cheese frosting that was not overly sweet which complemented the cupcake so well. A delicious winner no doubt!
Next up was their Chocolate Chip cupcake. Another light and fluffy cupcake topped with a big, crumbly and delicious chocolate chip before the frosting was applied on top. Absolutely delish! I loved how the chocolate chip lent another element in the cupcakes texture and again their frosting is just right. Now this is what I really love about them. I’ve eaten some cupcakes where the sweetness of their frosting was just so overpowering that I couldn’t stand it. Finding that perfect balance of sweetness is for me an important factor in a cupcake and this is what I also try to perfect in my own kitchen.
Last that we tried was their Banoffee cupcake dotted with gold flecks atop its frosting with the top of the cupcake coated with chocolate and a banana/coffee flavored cupcake underneath. Again it does not disappoint and overall I had a very amazing experience with Flibby’s and bought 4 cupcakes for everyone to try and their verdict was the same as mine – delicious on all counts. Good job girls!
You’d think that after eating all those sweets that I’d give it a rest but of course no. With the limited time frame I had and a very early morning flight the day after, we just went ahead to visit one of the premier dessert shops in Bacolod – Calea.A very ornate knocker greets before you enter the light blue and wonderfully aged doors of Calea. They seem to give that Mediterranean vibe to the place.
Calea stands true to being a cake shop. Once you enter those doors, different cake varieties greet you warmly. It took like a good 10 minutes of standing in front of those glass displays before I was able to make up my mind on what to order. I also made it a point to order a café latter since it sort of evens out the sweet indulgence of the cupcakes we had.
Friend M told me that they have a great chocolate cake so we ordered their Imported Chocolate Cake. A compact and moist sponge cake filled with this delightful custard and iced with a nice rich chocolate. This cake was chocolate in every bite. I was so glad I ordered my coffee. It was a perfect match to this decadent cake.
I also got their Pecan Pie ala Mode. This was a super hit with friend M and I. The pie was loaded with big bits of pecan encased in a flaky pastry and topped with your good old vanilla ice cream. Perfect! The pie was not soggy. The pecans were lovely inside the pie and the ice cream was like the perfect match for the pie. I am normally not a cake/pie person but I think Calea makes me want to be one.
My 2 dessert stops were amazing and certainly more reasons to go visit the “City of Smiles” again!Thank you again friend M, H and C for hosting me during that weekend! I will be back soon!XoXo -
A Bacolod Weekender Part I: The Savory Series
Earlier this year I went to Bacolod for a short RnR and to see some good friends over the weekend. They played very gracious hosts to me and I am very grateful. Thanks friend M, H and pretty C. I had a very food-filled and fun stay with you guys. I can’t ask for more gracious hosts.I am separating my posts into 2 categories, the savories and the sweets.A visit to Bacolod would not be complete without the staple chicken “inasal” or barbecued chicken cooked the Bacolod way. I don’t know how they do it but the taste is completely different. I think it has to be the marinade that they use before cooking the chicken. The grill marks lent off a pleasant smoky taste and the chicken meat was really juicy and not at all dry like most barbecued chickens are. It was simple fare yet so delicious. We also had some barbecued pork meat but the chicken was the star of the night.
The next morning come lunchtime we went out to get some friendly grub at the nearby La Salle school where right in front of it, there is a little cafeteria place that serves up pork chops, pork belly and burger steaks together with rice for an average of 60-80 pesos and that comes with a free bottle of Mountain Dew soda. Yeah! Simple eating pleasures but made even better with good friends to dine together with.
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My last night in the “city of smiles”, they took me to a seaside eatery where the food was cooked ala carte and again the prices are insanely reasonable in this city. I love it here. We ordered oysters and they just scalded them with boiling water and served together with some native lemon. The price for the oysters was like Php 50 for a basketful.
We then had some sizzling shrimps just sautéed with some butter and lots of garlic. Average-sized shrimps cooked to a pinkish hue and loaded with garlic. Very simple but very yummy!.jpg)
Our next order was some fish ceviche or more commonly known as “kinilaw”. Fresh slices of fish with the skin on and washed with some vinegar served together with some fresh tomatoes, ginger, garlic and a dollop of mayonnaise to make it even creamier.
The sizzling squid came last. They were cooked well and did not have the rubbery texture associated with overcooking. The squid was just sautéed with some spices, tomatoes, onions, and garlic in its own juices and it was good.
I had a great weekend in Bacolod full of good simple food and fun friends who shared with me the same love for food. Thanks M, H, and C. I can’t wait for the next trip since I still have a lot to try it.
XoXo -
Restaurant Feature: Dong Juan in Centrio Mall – Cagayan de Oro
My first encounter with Dong Juan was in good ole Cebu a few years back courtesy of good friend A. The one thing I remember from that restaurant encounter was the chorizo pasta I got to try.Back to the not-so-present time last December 2012, I got to spend some time in my hometown – Cagayan de Oro and I was very surprised to note that there was a Dong Juan branch in Centrio Mall. I immediately hauled off the mum and aunt to treat them to a lunch date.We started off by ordering some appetizers to tide us over the waiting for our main dishes since it looked as if they were on a full house. We got their Popeye Shrimps. Breaded and fried to a crisp outside while still juicy on the inside, these shrimps were served in a very unique way – inside a funnel shaped paper-laden container.
Our iced teas were served in jar-like containers. They were house brews and not the run-of-the-mill Nestea or Lipton which I liked. Brewed iced teas taste so much better to me.
We also ordered their Steamy Seafood soup and as you can see from the picture, there is a faint shadow of that steam! It was nothing really remarkable but a good clear-broth soup with clams, shrimps and squid.
We also had their Caesar salad for some green input in our lunch.
I also ordered the chorizo pasta for the mum and aunt to try. The paste was light and al dente with chorizo bits and olive oil, olives and Parmesan cheese. I like this kind of pasta because it’s not too heavy on the tummy.
For our main star dish, I ordered their Baby back ribs in bbq sauce. The mum and aunt both loved it and I did too. Tender and fall-off-the bone meat soaked in Dong Juan’s own bbq sauce. It was tasty and we finished every last piece of this dish.
Overall I think Dong Juan is a great restaurant. The food is okay and it’s not too heavy on the wallet as well. They also have some great dishes worth coming back for.Congrats on opening your Cdeo branch Dong Juan! Will try out your BF branch soon!XoXo -
On The Tummy Spot: Tasty Dumplings Hong Ma!
I’m sure by now you guys know that I am an avid fan and Binondo food addict. There is just something comforting about delicious and well-prepared dim sums and other Chinese dishes that I just can’t resist them. It’s a lifelong love affair from eating at my Angkong’s table with the dishes he has prepared when I was still a little kid to the weekend Binondo forays with the mum. It’s in my blood!And as a yearly tradition, we make sure that every Chinese New Year we are in Binondo to take part in the revelry of it all. From the dragon dances, to the red ang pao’s, busy streets, and of course the delicious food, we really try and make it in Binondo yearly. This year as with last year, we had one of our stop-overs in Tasty Dumplings along Ongpin road. Presently though they have transferred to Condesa Street which is just near the old location in Ongpin. Since we tried some of their best sellers before, we decided to try some dishes that my friend C recommended. We ordered their Meatball soup, Hong Ma, and the Silver roll bread that was best together with the Hong Ma. We just ordered these 3 because we were going to another restaurant later.
The meatball soup was a revelation. The delicious and beautifully seasoned meatballs floating in a clear but very flavorful broth was something else. We all loved it. It was a great starter and personally I think it’s good to share since the meatballs are quite filling.
The star of our orders was the tender, soy and anise flavored (pork belly, I think) Hong Ma drenched in its own sauce with the right proportions of meat and fat. It was literally a melt-in-your-mouth tasty piece of morsel and the Silver Roll bread was the perfect foil for it.
Hong Ma 
Hong Ma The Silver Roll bread was a fried and crunchy bread on the outside with a soft and light inside. You could put pieces of Hong Ma inside the bread and eat it like a sandwich. They were absolutely perfect together. A match made in heaven if I do say so myself.
Silver Roll I do suggest that if you guys check out Tasty Dumplings, be sure to order the Hong Ma and the Silver Roll bread and you will be glad you did. The Silver Roll bread will also go well with the Pata Tim!XoXoEV
exploring food forever! among other things…
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